Human resource management and project based organizing: Fertile ground, missed opportunities and prospects for closer connections

Abstract

Building on the work of J. Rodney Turner, our article reports publishing trends on the intersection between HRM (Human Resource Management) and PBO (Project Based Organizing) in the key research-led journals of the project management field. We examine scholarship covering single and multiple practices, and different levels of analysis, to provide a comprehensive overview of key empirical and theoretical contributions published in the

Human resource management in project-based organizations: revisiting the permanency assumption

“…We believe that our approach, utilizing an organizational lens in conjunction with the development of the HRM field, differentiates this review from previous ones published in other management journals (cf. Bakker, 2010;Burke & Morley, 2016;Keegan et al, 2018). We point to the ignorance of the field regarding the spread of temporary forms of organizing, also in the international contextwith the notable exception of temporary employment.…”

“…Interestingly, most of the research that takes the temporariness of organizations into account has been done outside the HRM field, most notably in the field of project management (Bredin, 2008(Bredin, , 2010Bredin & S€ oderlund, 2013;Fabi & Pettersen, 1992;Huemann, 2010Huemann, , 2015Keegan et al, 2018;Turner et al, 2008;Turner & Simister, 2000). However, these studies explicate only a few aspects of the HRM-PBO relationship by focusing mostly on how HRM is configured and functions in the context of this type of temporary organization.…”

Who Supports Project Careers? Leveraging the Compensatory Roles of Line Managers

“…As organizations become more project oriented, and less oriented to stable, functional organizations, individual work and careers emerge and unfold in projects involving interdisciplinary work teams, often in an international context. There is, therefore, an opportunity for the study of projects and their roles in careers (Keegan, Ringhofer, & Huemann, 2018) and to untangle the mechanisms regarding how project careers unfold. Previous attempts to model the careers on projects or in project-based organizational settings, include the work of Keegan and Turner (2003) who suggested spiral staircase careers as an appropriate metaphor to reflect the idea that people will move through a series of varied and wide-ranging jobs while working on projects.…”

Human Resource Management in Project Management: Ideas at the Cusp

“…Keegan, Ringhofer, & Huemann, 2018;Dociu, 2018;Pak, Carden, & Kovach, 2016;Ling, Ning, Chang, & Zhang, 2018). Themes such as human resource practices to manage project teams (Dociu, 2018), human resource management theory as reflected in major project management journals (Keegan et al, 2018), new project worker socializing and orientation (Batistič, & Kenda, 2018), and the effect of perceived organizational support on the turnover intent of project managers (Ekrot et al, 2018). While the research on managing people on projects has increased over the years, systematic reviews that summarize the research themes which set the direction for further research may have been wanting.…”